Rezept

Phanaeng: Creamy curry with chicken and peanuts

Phanaeng is cooked with very little liquid until the sauce clings to the meat instead of swimming around it. With chicken, peanuts, and kaffir lime leaves, it becomes the thickest and mildest of the classic curries.

3 Min. Lesezeit

Phanaeng: Cremiges Curry mit Poulet und Erdnüssen

The name Phanaeng, in Thai พริกแกงพะแนง, is still disputed today. Some derive it from the Malaysian island of Penang, others from an old method of grilling a chicken with its legs tucked in. Both explanations have persisted for decades without either one prevailing.

What is undisputed is the preparation: Phanaeng is cooked with very little liquid until the sauce clings to the meat instead of swimming around it. It is the thickest and mildest of the classic curries, almost a sauce rather than a soup.

Garlic, lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime zest are already in the paste, along with coriander seeds and cumin for a background spice. For the recipe below, you only need meat, a little coconut milk, and a few leaves for garnish.

  • 4servings
  • 25 min.preparation
  • 3/5on the THAANI scale

Shopping list

What you still need

  • 1 jar THAANI Phanaeng curry paste (3 tbsp for this recipe)
  • 500 g skinless chicken thighs, cut into pieces, or beef in thin strips
  • 400 ml full-fat coconut milk
  • 2 tbsp roasted, ground peanuts
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tsp palm sugar
  • a few kaffir lime leaves, cut into fine strips
  • 1 red bell pepper, cut into fine strips
  • 300 g jasmine rice

Preparation

  1. Cook the rice. Prepare the jasmine rice according to the package instructions while the rest is being prepared.
  2. Split the coconut milk. Open the can without shaking it, and heat the solid top portion in a pan over medium heat until the oil separates.
  3. Fry the paste. Add the curry paste and fry for two to three minutes until it darkens and smells intense.
  4. Cook the meat. Add the chicken or beef and cook over medium heat, adding the remaining coconut milk spoonful by spoonful to prevent burning.
  5. Season. Stir in the peanuts, fish sauce, and palm sugar, and simmer until the sauce clings thickly to the meat instead of swimming.
  6. Serve. Sprinkle with lime leaves and bell pepper strips, and serve with rice.
Phanaeng is ready when the sauce sticks to the spoon and does not drip off.

Variations and tips

  • Use shrimp instead of meat, shortening the cooking time to a few minutes so they do not become tough.
  • Make it vegetarian with firm tofu, seared briefly on all sides before adding the sauce.
  • For extra crunch, sprinkle additional whole peanuts over the dish only when serving instead of cooking them in it.
  • If you prefer it thinner, add a little more coconut milk at the end instead of water.

Once opened, the paste will keep in the refrigerator at +2 to +6 °C, ideally covered with a thin layer of oil. Because there is so little liquid involved, Phanaeng freezes well in small portions and can be gently reheated later without the sauce separating. One jar makes about 10 servings of curry, which is enough for two and a half times this recipe.